Automatic annunciator.



J. H. GENTER.

AUTOMATIC ANNUNGIATOR. APPLICATION FILED 11u14, 1913.

1 ,097,310. Patented May 19, 1914.

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J. H. GENTER.

AUTOMATIC ANNUNGIATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 14, 1913.

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J. H. GBNTER. AUTOMATIC ANNUNGIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1913.

1,097,310. Patented May 19, 1914.

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WITNESSES cDLUMBM PLANDGRAPM Co.,wASmN6TnN. n.1.,

JACOB H. GENTER, OF NEWBURGH, NEU] YORK.

AUTOMATIC ANNUNCIATOR.

Specification of Let-ters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1914.

Application filed May 14, 1918. Serial No. 767,562.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JACOB H. GENTER, a citizen of the United States, and a residentI of Newburgh, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Annunciator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to projecting apparatus for projecting pictures or other subject matter on a Screen, wall, sidewalk or other surface.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved automatic annunciator arranged to announce the time and legends representing advertisements or titles to vaudeville acts, or titles for moving pictures and the like.

In order to accomplish the desired result, use is made of a projecting apparatus and time-indicating means mounted in said apparatus ont-o a distant surface. Use is also made of a slide carrier mounted to rotate intermittently within the projecting apparatus, the slide carrier supporting a series of slides adapted to move successivelyT into the field of the projecting apparatus to be projected onto a distant surface, each of the slides being provided with a legend and with a segmental time dial operating in conjunction with clock-driven hour and minute hands extending into the field of the projecting apparatus, so that the time of the day or nightk is displayed on the screen together with the subject matter of the slide.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a sectional side elevation of the annunciator, the section being on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2; Fig. i). is a sectional plan view of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. l Fig. 3 is a cross section of the saine on the line 3 3 of Fig. l; Fig. A is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the mechanisrn for imparting an intermittent rotary motion to the slide carrier;.Fig. 5 is a similar view of a modified form of the same; Fig. G is an enlarged face view of one of the Slides; Fig. 7 is a cross section of the same on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a similar view of ay modified form of slide; Fig. 9 is an enlarged face view of a modified form of the time-indicating mechanism; and Fig. lO is a face view, partly in section, of a modified form of slide carrier.

ln carrying out the invention use is made of a projecting apparatus A having a casing A in which is mounted an objective B, a condenser lens C and a source of light D in the rear of the condenser lens, as indicated in Figs. l and 2. The casing A is removably held on a bracket E attached to a wall, post or other suitable support and having a rod E passing through an apertured boss A2 held in the bot-tom of the casing A. The boss A2 is provided with a set screw E2 adapted to engage the rod E so as to Securely fasten the casing A on the rod E of the bracket E.

Within the casing A of the projecting apparatus A is mounted to rotate intermittently a slide carrier F, preferably in the form of a skeleton wheel provided at its peripheral face with guideways F for the reception of removable slides G containing the subject matter to be projected by the projecting apparatus onto a distant screen, wall, sidewalk or other surface. By reference to Figs. l and 2 it will be noticed that the condenser lens C and the source of light D are arranged within the slide carrier F in such a manner that the slides Gr move successively into the held of the projecting apparatus, that is, between the condenser lens C and the objective B. The slide carrier F is rotated intermittently at the option of the operator in charge so as to permit of displaying the subject matter of the slide G, in active position at the time, any desired length of time, and for this purpose the following arrangement is made: T he slide carrier F is provided with a hub F2 mounted to rotate loosely on a shaft H attached to the door or cover A3 on one side of the casing A, and on the said hub F2 is secured a gear wheel I (see Figs. 9. and 4) in mesh with a gear wheel I secured on a transversely-extending shaft 12 j ournaled in suitable bearings arranged on a bracket A4 attached to or forming part of the door A3. On the shaft I2 is secured a toothed wheel J energized, and a spring K2 connected with ther free end of the armature lever K serves to swing the armature lever K upward whenever the electro-magnets L are denergized.y

The electro-magnets L are inanelectric circuit L provided with a battery `or other source of electrical energy L2 and with ,a switch L3 under the control of an operator at .any desired distant point. When the switch L3 is closed the electro-magnets L are energized `to swing the lever K downward, and when the switch is opened the elect-ro- Inagnets L are denergized to allow the spring K2 to swing the armature lever vK upward. 0n the armature lever K is fulcrumed a 4pawl K3 adapted to engage the teeth of the wheel J, and the said pawl K3 @is pressed on by a spring Kt attached to the -lever K to hold the pawl in engagement with the wheel J. Now when the armature lever K is swung downward the pawl K3 glides over the teeth ofthe wheel J and atthe same time the armature lever K actuates the escapement lever J by the pin K so as torelease the wheel J, and when the lever K swings kupward vthe pawl K2.tiirns the wheel J until the escapementlever J again locks the wheel J against further rotation. It will be noticed that-when the wheel J is rotated in the direction ofthe arrow .a then a rotary motion is given by the gear wheels I and tothe-slide carrier F so that theneXt following slide G iszmoved into the field of the projecting apparatus. It isunderstood that the switch'L3 isopened andclosedas often as is necessary for turning the slide carrier F sufliciently far to move the next following slide G, or any otherslide,vinto the -field ofthe .projecting apparatus.

Each :of the slides G is provided with a legend G or with a picture, or with any other desirable subject matter to be projected :(see Figs. 3 and 6), and the slide is also provided with a segmental time dial G2 havinga graduation indicating hours andfminuates so that this dial is projected with the subject matter G onto the distant surface. In conjunction .with the time dial G2 operate sets of hour'hands N and minute hands N driven by a clockwork N2 mounted withinthe casing A. The hands of each set of hands YN and N are spaced equal distances apart, andthe hands are so arranged that only one setat a time operates in conjunction with .the Atime dial G2 (see Fig. 3) to indi- Loenen() `time dialiare projected ona distant surface to indicate the time of day or night. It is understood that when one of the hour hands 'N leaves the end of the dial G2 then the next following hour hand moves into display position. In a like manner each minute hand N, after leaving the end of the time dial G, is succeeded byfthe next minute hand N so thatthe correct time is displayed on the distant surface.

From the foregoing itwill be seen that when theautomatic annunciator is in use, the operator in charge can periodically manipulate the switch L3 so as to cause the slide .carrier F l,to rotate for moving another slide into the field of the projecting apparatus. As each of the slides is provided with t-he segmental time dial and the hour andminutehands are always in active position, it is evident that both the subject matter ofzthe slides as well as the time of the dayor night is projected onto the distant surface.

The projecting lens B is movable in the casing A vin the usual manner, and the condenser lens C ismounted on a frame C provided with a longitudinally-extending rod C2 adjustably engaging a bearing C3 attached to the side of the casing A opposite the `door A3. A set screw C* serves to fasten therod C2 in place after the desired lens C is adjusted to proper position relativeto the slide G in place of the said lens. The source oflight D is mounted on a suitable bracket D likewise attached to the side ofthecasing A on which the bracket C3 is secured. As vshown in the drawings, the source of light is preferably an electric lamp with a suitable reiiector D2 for reflecting the light to the condenser lens C.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modified form for intermittently rotating the' slide carrier F, The gear wheel I on the hub F2 of the slide carrier F is in this case in mesh with a gear wheel vO lforming part of a train of gear wheels O of a clockwork O2 for rotating the slidecarrier. On the hub F2 is secured an escapement wheel P engaged by an yescapement lever I fulcrumed at F2 and having .an arm P3 pressed on by a spring 134. .The arm P2 forms the armature lever for the electro-magnet-s L so that when the peatedly opening and closing the switch L3 the escapeinent lever Il is repeatedly actuated to allow turning of the slide carrier until the next following slide G is in display position. When the switch L3 is in open position, the escapement lever I locks the escapement wheel P against rotation so that the slide carrier F remains at a standstill for the time being.

Instead of using the sets of hour and minute hands N, N', a single hour hand N3 and a single minute hand N4 may be used as indicated in Fig. 9. In this case the hands N3, N4 are mounted on separate arbors i 5, N6 carrying arms Q and Q pressed on by springs Q2 and engaging cam levers Q3, Q4 mounted to swing on a stud Q5. The cam levers Q3, Q4 are actuated by cams R and It driven continuously in the direction of the arrow from a suitable clockwork R2. By the arrangement described the hands i 3, N4 after having moved to the end of the time dial G2 are returned to the beginning end of the time dial, that is, the minute hand N4 is returned every hour and then moves forward, while the hour hand N3 is returned after a lapse of every twelve hours.

The legend G on each slide may be permanently produced thereon in any suitable manner, or the legend may be on a separate piece of glass G4, as indicated in Fig. S to allow of changing the legend whenever it is desired to do so by changing the separate piece of glass G4.

In Fig. 10 is illustrated a slide carrier S provided with guideways S Jfor the reception of the slides G, the latter ext-ending at right angles to lthe axis of the carrier, each slide being adapted to pass into the field of the projecting apparatus on intermittently rotating the carrier in the manner above described.

Within the casing A is arranged a shield extending between the peripheral face of the slide carrier F and the timepiece to protect the latter against the heat emanating from the source of light.

It will be noticed that by mounting the slide carrier F on the cover or door A3 of the casing A it can be readily removed from the casing on removing the cover for introducing the slides or for repairs and without disturbing the time-indicating de- VIC@- Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. In combination, a projecting apparatas, a slide in the field of the projecting apparatus and provided with subject matter and with a segmental time dial, and a timepiece mounted in the said casing and provided on its hour and minute arbors with sets of hour and minute hands, or" which one set is in projecting position in the field of the projecting apparatus and the remaining sets together with the timepiece are out of the said held, the hands in each set bcing spaced equal distances apart.

2. In combination, a projecting apparatus, a revoluble slide carrier mounted in the said projecting apparatus, a series of slides carried by the said slide carrier and adapted to move successively into the lield of the projecting apparatus to be projected onto a distant surface, time-indicating means having a segmental time dial and driven hands, of which t-he time dial forms a. part of each of the slides and the hands are mounted in the projecting apparatus independent of the said slide carrier and project into the eld of the apparatus, and means for periodically rotating the said slide carrier.

3. In combination, a projecting apparatus, a revoluble slide carrier mounted in the said projecting apparat-us, a series of slides carried by the said slide carrier and adapted to move successively into the field of the projecting apparatus to be projected onto a distant surface, each of the slides being provided with a segmental time dial, clock-driven hands mounted in the said projecting apparatus independent of the said slide carrier and extending into the field of the projecting apparatus and registering with the said dial, and means for periodically rotating the said slide carrier.

a. In combination, a projecting apparatus, a revoluble slide carrier mounted in the said projecting apparatus, a series of slides carried by the said slide carrier and adapted to move successively into the iield of the projecting apparatus to be projected onto a distant surface, each of the slides being provided with a legend and with a segmental time dial, clock-driven hands mounted in the projecting apparatus independent of the said slide carrier and eX- tending into the field of the projecting apparatus and registering with the said dial, and means for periodically rotating said slide carrier.

5. In combination, a projecting apparatus, a slide provided with a segmental time dial extending into t-he field of the said apparatus, hour and minute hands mounted in the said apparatus and extending into the iield of the apparatus and registering with the said time dial, and clockdriven means for actuating the said hands.

6. In combination, a projecting apparatus, a slide provided with a segmental time dial extending into the iield of the said apparatus, hour and minute hands mounted in the said apparatus and extending into the field of the apparatus and registering with the said time dial, the said hour and minute hands being arranged in sets, the hands in veach set being spaced equal distances apart, and clock-driven means for actuating the said hands.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, a slide provided with a legend and with a segmental time dial.

8. In anepparartus of the class described, the combination of a slide provided with ,a segmental time dial, and hour and minute hands adapted to indicate the time on the 10 said dial.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JACOB H. GENTER.

VVit-nesses EDITH I. SMITH, FLORENCE S. WALLACE.

C opies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents `each. by addressing the Commissioner p f Patents,

washington, D. c. 

